After a false start – to borrow a football analogy – thanks to the COVID virus that ran through the Husain house, the Nine Devines was able to make its debut in the Chippewa Valley on February 15th.  The scene was the Local Store in Eau Claire, a venue where the book has been described as “flying off the shelf.”  If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Local Store, I give it my highest recommendation.

I walked in and saw all the locally crafted goods and thought, “well we will be buying more than we will be selling today.”  You couldn’t ask for  a better location for a book signing.  The aesthetics were stunning (and made for great photos) and the staff, especially Chloe and Matt, gave us the royal treatment.

As for the event itself, Tim, Uncle Lefty, and I were non-stop signing for 2 ½ hours.  But it was the conversations and connections made that were truly the highlight.  Remarkably, there were representatives (branches) of the family tree from seven out of the Nine Devines. My mother, visiting the area for only the second time, worked the room and we played a constant game of Six Degrees of Separation Devine Edition.  Tim Devine got to meet . . . Tim Devine, a man of the same age, from the same area, and with immediate relatives named Dan and Jerry.

There is no greater endorsement for the Nine Devines than to hear how much the book has resonated with the people who have spent much of their lives in the Chippewa Valley.  You can not fake your way through that authenticity and serves as proof that the Devine family saga is every family’s story: one of sorrow, hope, grief, love, and ultimately perseverance. 

On behalf of Uncle Lefty, Tim, and I, we thank you for all the support and an experience we won’t soon forget.